February planting calendar
winterWhat to plant in February
Late winter — the indoor seed-starting season opens for zones 3-7 and outdoor work resumes in zones 8-10. February is when the gap between "garden planning" and "garden doing" closes.
Universal February tasks
These tasks apply to most temperate gardens across the US and UK in February. Check the per-zone sections below for the specific crops to plant in your zone.
- Start onions, leeks, and slow-growing perennials under lights.
- Prune fruit trees, grapes, and dormant shrubs while still leafless.
- Test soil where you can dig — collect samples for pH and nutrient reports.
- Top up cold-frame and cloche supplies; cover early beds for soil-warming.
- Stratify seeds that need cold (echinacea, milkweed, native perennials) outdoors or in the fridge.
- Inspect stored bulbs, potatoes, and dahlia tubers for rot.
UK gardeners — February
In the UK, February brings broad beans, onion sets, shallots, and Jerusalem artichokes outdoors in milder regions. Sow tomatoes, peppers, and aubergines under heat indoors. Chit early potatoes in a cool, bright spot.
Most of England and Wales falls in RHS H4-H5 (roughly USDA 7-8). Scotland skews cooler (H3-H4); coastal southwest skews warmer (H5). See UK hardiness ratings →
February planting by USDA zone
Pick your USDA zone for the full crop-by-crop list for February. Each zone page includes sowing, transplanting, harvesting, and maintenance actions.
Zone 3 — February
4 actions- Sow indoors: Onions, leeks
- Prep & plan: Seed orders
- Maintain: Garlic mulch and overwintered crowns
See full zone 3 plan →
Zone 4 — February
4 actions- Sow indoors: Onions, leeks, celery
- Sow indoors: Peppers and eggplant (late February)
- Prep & plan: Dormant pruning
See full zone 4 plan →
Zone 5 — February
4 actions- Sow indoors: Onions, leeks, celery, celeriac
- Sow indoors: Peppers and eggplant
- Sow indoors: Brassicas for spring transplant (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower)
See full zone 5 plan →
Zone 6 — February
4 actions- Sow indoors: Peppers, eggplant, tomatoes (late February)
- Sow indoors: Brassicas, lettuce, herbs (parsley, chives)
- Sow outdoors: Peas (late February under cloches)
See full zone 6 plan →
Zone 7 — February
4 actions- Sow indoors: Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant
- Sow outdoors: Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, carrots
- Transplant: Onion sets and leek seedlings
See full zone 7 plan →
Zone 8 — February
4 actions- Sow indoors: Tomatoes and peppers for March transplant
- Sow outdoors: Peas, lettuce, spinach, radishes, beets, carrots
- Transplant: Brassicas, onions, leeks, potatoes
See full zone 8 plan →
Zone 9 — February
4 actions- Sow outdoors: Tomato transplants, beans, cucumbers (after mid-February)
- Sow outdoors: Squash, melons, corn (late February)
- Sow outdoors: Carrots, beets, lettuce (succession)
See full zone 9 plan →
Zone 10 — February
4 actions- Sow outdoors: Warm-season crops — tomatoes, peppers, beans, cucumbers
- Sow outdoors: Eggplant, okra, squash, melons
- Harvest: Citrus, leafy greens, root crops
See full zone 10 plan →
Zones 1-2 and 11-13 in February
Sub-Arctic zones 1-2 (interior Alaska and northern Canada) are still effectively dormant for any month outside June-August. Greenhouse and cold-frame work dominates the calendar; outdoor planting compresses into a 60-90 day window.
Tropical zones 11-13 (Hawaii, southern Florida, Puerto Rico) have no frost cycle. Calendar timing depends on the wet/dry seasons rather than spring/fall frost — most temperate crops grow October through April, with the hot-wet summer as the off-season.
Source and methodology
Timing curated against US Cooperative Extension publications (UNL, UMN, NC State, Texas A&M, UF/IFAS, Oregon State) and cross-checked against the RHS sowing calendar for UK readers. Frost-date averages from NOAA Climate Data Online. Curated by the Growli editorial team.